Softball Sweeps #7 Spartans

Sarah Broeseker went 4-for-6 with a double, triple, three walks and three runs scored. Photo by Joel Auerbach.

TAMPA, Fla.—The Barry Buccaneers put together some of their best softball of the season to sweep a doubleheader from the seventh-ranked Tampa Spartans at Vince Naimoli Family Stadium on Saturday. The Bucs won game one 3-2 and took the nightcap 6-3 to claim sole possession of first place in the Sunshine State Conference.

Game one took 11 innings, but things did not start well for the Bucs (21-10, 9-2 SSC). Tampa starter Kayla Cox set Barry down in order in the first four innings and struck out eight. The Spartans (18-8, 6-5 SSC) took a 1-0 lead in the second inning as Taylor Storey had a double to lead off the inning and Katlyn Raatz delivered the run with a single to center.

The game stayed 1-0 until the top of the seventh inning when the Bucs finally broke through against Cox. Sarah Broeseker reached on a bunt single, but Julie Brito bunted into a fielder’s choice to erase her at second. After a pinch hit single by Camille Czarnecki, Kelly Martinez came through with a single to left to tie the game at 1-1.

The Bucs took the lead in the ninth when Broeseker tripled to lead off and Czarnecki knocked her in with a single to left.

But in the bottom of the inning, Brittany Garcia singled with one out. Brie Walton lifted a fly ball into shallow center field which Barry’s Ashley Fernandez dropped. She had a chance to throw out Garcia at second, but threw it away and Garcia came all the way around to score.

In the 11th, Barry finally pushed across the game winner. Czarnecki walked and was bunted to second. But on a ground ball in the hole by Martinez, Czarnecki was thrown out at third. Fernandez hit a another ball in the hole that third baseman Kandi Kuder booted to leave runners at first and second. Alexis Kent knocked in Martinez with the winning run.

Pugh (5-2) won her fourth straight start, striking out four and scattering 10 hits in the complete game. Cox (13-4), who leads the nation in ERA and strikeouts, struck out 15 in the complete game, but allowed nine hits and three runs (two earned), all season-highs against.

In the nightcap, the Bucs tallied four runs in the third inning. Ojeda led off with a single, but when Copeland tried to lay down a sacrifice, Tampa third baseman Kuder threw the ball down the right field line, allowing Ojeda to score from first. The Bucs went on to load the bases with two outs as Broeseker drew a walk and Martinez was hit by a pitch. All three came around to score on a double to left center by Fernandez.

Barry added single runs in the fifth and sixth. In the fifth, Czarnecki drove in Broeseker after she led off the inning with a double. In the sixth, the Bucs loaded the bases and Brito got the run in when she was hit by a pitch from Tampa starter Julia Morrow (5-4).

Alexis Yohe (10-5) picked up the win in the circle. She worked 4.1 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits. She struck out two and did not issue a walk. Taylor Sabol picked up her second save of the season, going 2.2 hitless innings and striking out one. Morrow was saddled with the loss despite pitching a complete game. She was tagged for six runs (two earned) on eight hits and four walks and struck out nine.